Trainers Duel and Duelists Train
by Archimime
Summary: A mix up is the last thing Yugi Muto needs when he's about to duel a mysterious opponent who can summon real monsters. But the King of Games has not only lost his prize deck but gained a strange yellow companion that seems to hate his guts. Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum's Pikachu has disappeared and in its place…a deck of weird cards? This can't end well…
1. Chapter 1

_Note: I don't know why I wrote this. Sue me. But not really, because I don't own Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! and I'm certainly not making any money off of this fanfiction. I wrote it for the two and a half people who might read it and giggle a little. Spoilers for Yu-Gi-Oh! and probably Pokémon. Review if you want more shenanigans or if your eyes are burning from reading this story. _

_Bless your little heart for reading. _

**Chapter 1: Yugi Muto **

To say that he was glad Duelist Kingdom was over would be an understatement. Yugi Muto was ecstatic to have his grandpa back and was even happy that the Kaibas had made it out of Pegasus's clutches relatively unscathed. He was proud of his friends and the way that they had supported each other throughout the ordeal. But even though they had won, he knew it would be a while before they had their picture perfect ideal ending.

Yugi sighed as he flopped down on his bed. Laying propped up on his elbow, he slowly traced the groves of the eye carefully etched in his Millennium Puzzle. His face scrunched into a frown as he thought about the other Millennium Items. There was so much he and his friends didn't know. Yugi blew out a puff of air in exasperation, throwing his head back onto the bed.

He tugged absently at the chain around his neck. Each day it seemed to grow heavier. The mystery surrounding the Spirit inhabiting the puzzle was definitely on his list of top priorities. At least the spirit's day out at the museum had helped a little. Still, it was hard to get used to the fact that a royal pharaoh guy 3000 years dead was now your semi-permanent mental roommate. By now, Yugi considered him a friend. A friend in need. But how do you begin helping out someone when you weren't even sure what their real name was?

"Do not worry, young Yugi," a deep voice resonated throughout his mind. Yugi smiled at the familiar sensation, "I am confident that we will discover the truth together."

"I know," Yugi replied, "Just be patient with me."

"Yugi…" the spirit began softly, "You've already been a great help, and your friends have as well. I won't forget the kindness you and Téa showed me by attempting to awaken my memories. I know it will take time to uncover everything about our shared destiny."

Yugi smiled, reassured. But even if the spirit's words were true, he could feel his other half getting more anxious by the day. He knew how lonely the spirit must feel, without a name or even a past. He knew this must be true, even if the proud pharaoh wouldn't admit it. It was like a sixth sense, and as their bond grew stronger more of their thoughts and emotions seeped through the boundaries of their shared mind.

"Speaking of friends…" the spirit mused. Yugi felt the pharaoh crack a smile and it made him nervous. "I wonder why you were so concerned about our appearance the day I met with Téa…?"

_Crap_.

Apparently he wasn't the only one who was catching on to the feelings of his other half.

"No reason," Yugi shrugged, but his heart was hammering loudly.

"I see," the pharaoh purred. "Yugi, I may assist you in duels, but that doesn't mean you aren't a great duelist on your own."

"I know that."

"But unlike in your duels, in the future, I would prefer it if you used your own expertise when pursuing the object of your affections."

Yugi sputtered, flailing his arms as he sat up suddenly.

"It wasn't like that!"

The pharaoh's laugh reverberated through his skull.

"Can you blame me for thinking it? I wondered if you were using me as an excuse to go on a "date" as they call it in this modern age."

Yugi continued into a long string of denials as the pharaoh laughed. He was still red-faced and mumbling when the spirit finally stopped his teasing.

"You never give yourself enough credit," the pharaoh sighed.

Yugi shifted uncomfortably, mildly overwhelmed by the truth in his other half's words.

"I know I'm capable on my own," Yugi reasoned, "but I duel with you because it makes it easier….especially when so much has been at stake lately."

"And with Téa?...You could have simply relayed the information to me after your…outing."

Yugi blushed fiercely.

"I just thought," he began, unsure how to put his feelings into words, "that since the trip was so personal…for you, I mean…finding out about your past and all that...that you would be more comfortable in charge. And also that Téa…would enjoy her evening more with someone like you."

"Like me?" The spirit mused.

"Yeah, you know," Yugi scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "You're really confident, not to mention tall and cool. You always know what to say and you're everything that I'm…"

The boy swallowed, realizing suddenly what he never wanted to admit, not even to himself.

"That's not true," the pharaoh said, catching on quickly to his young partner's train of thought. "You are more than you know."

Yugi laughed suddenly, bitterly amused at the pharaoh's words.

"So are you," he said.

"So I am," replied the spirit.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, both lost in their thoughts, emotions occasionally crossing the barrier between them in flashes of incoherent feelings.

"Shall we meet with our friends?" Asked the spirit, breaking the silence.

"Oh crap! How could I forget?!"

Yugi flung himself out of bed, stumbling over to his closet to grab his jacket and deck. He was supposed to meet Joey and Tea in five minutes so they could meet up with Tristan downtown for lunch. Grabbing his backpack and house keys, he quickly stopped in front of the mirror to run a hand through his wild multicolored hair. As he straitened his jacket, for an instant he thought he saw the shadowy reflection of the pharaoh just behind him.

_Does he frown at what he sees in the mirror? It must suck to share the body of someone like me…_

"Enough," scolded the deep voice of the pharaoh. "Where is the confidence of the duelist who defeated Seto Kaiba?"

"That was both of us," Yugi reminded him as he carefully tucked away his precious deck, "and why are you reading my thoughts?"

"There's not a lot else to do up here," the spirit said dryly. Yugi rolled his eyes, closing the door to his room behind him and heading downstairs to his grandfather's shop.

"And for your information, I'm a very confident duelist and person, thank you very much."

"If only you had this much sass when dealing with that Raptor and Wheevil boy."

"Between you and me," Yugi whispered in a conspiratorial tone, "I think Joey and Tristan have enough of that for the both of us when it comes to those two."

The two shared a laugh, causing Yugi's grandfather to quirk and eyebrow when his grandson reached the bottom of the stairway.

"What's so funny?" Solomon chuckled. Yugi jumped, slightly startled.

"Um…sassy Egyptian pharaohs?" Yugi shrugged.

Solomon shook his head with a smile, watching as his grandson clutched at the Millennium puzzle dangling from the long chain around his neck.

"Are you heading out with your friends today?"

"Yeah," Yugi nodded. "If that's all right with you?"

Solomon sighed dramatically. "Ah well I suppose I'll have to clean the shop without you. You'll be missing all the fun."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Yugi laughed. "Save me some dust bunnies in the corner. I promise I'll get them when I come back." He turned with a smile and a wave. "See you, Grandpa."

"Have fun," Solomon yelled as he waved his grandson out of his shop. As the shop door closed with a slight whoosh, the old man sighed, prodding at a dirt stain with his broom. "This place is hopping with bigger things than dust bunnies."

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"How are you Yug?" Joey asked in his usually chipper tone.

"Good!" He replied cheerfully, easily keeping in step with his taller friend's strides as they headed down the street to meet with Téa. "It's great to finally have a bit of a break from all that Pegasus stuff."

"You're tellin' me," Joey said. "Don't tell Téa but at one point I thought we were goners for sure." Joey coughed suddenly, waving his hands expressively in front of Yugi. "Ah…not that I ever doubted you, pal. I knew you would pull through all along."

Yugi laughed. "Thanks Joey."

"You know, I kinda miss the dueling though," Joey hunched his shoulders, placing his hands in his pockets. "For fun, I mean. Not the whole battling-for-your soul deal."

"I know what you mean," Yugi nodded. "It's more fun to play the game when there's not so much riding on if you win or lose."

"You said it."

Joey elbowed Yugi playfully. "But don't think that means I'll go easy on ya next time we're up against each other, Mr. King of Games."

"I'll expect nothing but your best," Yugi said enthusiastically.

They rounded a corner together to find Téa waiting patiently. She quickly spotted them, raising a hand and waving them over happily.

"Yugi, Joey! I'm glad you guys made it," She beamed at both of them and Yugi mentally punched himself for blushing. She was one of his oldest friends. He shouldn't be feeling awkward.

"Hey Téa!" Joey raised his hand in greeting.

"Yeah, hey how are you?" Yugi said right after.

"Doing good, and how are the two greatest duelists in the world?"

"Ready for round two!" Joey declared, looping an arm around Yugi's shoulders. "No duelist can measure up to me and Yugi here!"

"Are you sure you're giant ego won't beat you in your next duel?" Téa giggled. "I hear its measurements are off the charts."

"Hey!"

Yugi laughed as Téa and Joey trade barbs back and forth. The little group continued walking side by side as they headed through town.

It was a beautiful evening. Warm enough to go sleeveless or in a light jacket but not too hot to be sweltering. The sun was high in the cloudless sky and he was happy to have the chatter of his friends surrounding him. He couldn't remember the last time they went anywhere just to spend time together. No duels where someone's soul hung in the balance. No shady billionaire manipulating their every move. No ancient past life to figure out.

_"__Not that I'm complaining,"_ thought Yugi quickly, attempting to reassure his millenniums old partner.

_"__I take no offense,_" chuckled the spirit. _"You deserve some time off."_

"Hey Earth to Yugi?" Téa's light voice startled him out of his thoughts. He found her and Joey staring at him quizzically.

"What? What's up?"

"We were wondering where you'd like to eat?" Tea asked.

"Yeah, I'm starving and we're gonna need a place where we can get lots of food," Joey said, practically foaming at the mouth, "'cause I don't want Tristan stealing any of my leftovers again."

Just as Yugi opened his mouth to answer, the ground seemed to shift beneath their feet. The three cried out, Téa toppling into Yugi to catch her balance. They both ended up on the ground and Joey soon followed as he fell across them on his stomach. Yugi's breath got knocked out of him as his friend landed on top of him hard. Téa didn't fare much better, struggling as Joey's shoe almost caught her in the face.

"What. Was. That?" Joey scrambled to his feet, tripping slightly as another smaller tremor shook the earth.

"I don't know," Téa said worriedly, rising into a sitting position. Yugi crouched near her, instinctively reaching for the deck inside his jacket pocket while scanning the still-quaking section of road and sidewalk.

He gasp as a dark mist began to filter up from a crack in the center of the road directly in front of them. Dust-like particles seemed to materialize out of thin air, swirling ominously until they solidified into a single tall, cloaked figure.

The individual was shrouded in dark blue robes, its face obscured. Joey and Téa looked on with determined faces as Yugi pulled out his deck, ready to duel.

But no sooner had it appeared, the figure distorted again into mist, swirling around the disoriented group as they coughed and sputtered.

"Téa! Joey!" Yugi shouted, groping around in the darkness to find them.

"Over here!" yelled Téa.

Yugi dove toward the sound of her voice, flailing his arms as he struggled through the mist.

_"__Quickly!"_ The pharaoh shouted within his mind. _"Change places Yugi, we must….!"_

In a flash, everything disappeared. The space in the street where the three friends met the dark stranger was gone, a large dirt and dust filled crater in thier place.

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Yugi woke up to a splitting headache and eerie silence.

_Joey! Téa!_

He remembered suddenly, bolting upright. The sudden action made his head spin, and he almost fell over again. He rested a hand on his forehead, dark spots clouding his vision.

_"__Yugi, are you alright?"_ asked the pharaoh.

_"__Yeah, but what about…?"_

His vision was still blurred, but he could make out the shapes of three figures that lay close by.

"Joey, Téa?" Yugi called out, coughing slightly. "Are you guys here? Are you alright?"

One of the figures groaned loudly, turning over before attempting to rise from the ground.

"Yugi, is that you?" asked a hoarse sounding Joey.

"Yeah it's me, Joey," Yugi sighed with relief, crawling toward his friend. "How are you?"

"I've been better," Joey wheezed, "But I've had worse."

Yugi chuckled slightly. His eyesight was beginning to return and Joey now sat in front of him rubbing his backside.

He glanced around him to find Téa pushing herself up from the floor.

"Téa! Are you ok?" Yugi closed the distance between them, offering her his hand. She took it gratefully, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Yeah, how about you and Joey?"

""A" okay, I guess," answered Joey.

"Where are we…?" Yugi glanced around the cavernous space in which they had found themselves. At first, he wondered if this was a part of the shadow realm. But other than the shock of a hard landing, he found that it was pretty easy to breathe.

The area seemed to be dome-shaped, yet at the same time, endless. The "ceiling" was as light as snow, fading into far-reaching walls that grew into ever darker shades of blue.

Yugi shuffled his feet. The floor seemed solid enough, but had an almost transparent quality to it, sometimes visible and sometimes not, depending on his viewpoint.

"Is this the shadow realm, Yugi?" Téa asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"No, I don't think so," Yugi assured her, taking a few tentative steps on the ever-shifting and empty plane.

"Phew, well that's a relief," Joey said, slumping forward.

"Wherever this is, I think we're going to be late meeting up with Tristan," Yugi said, reaching for the cards in his pocket. He froze, his eyes widening when his fingers grazed over empty space and cotton fabric. "My cards…"

"What's that, Yug?" Joey turned to face him.

"My cards!" Yugi spun around, dropping to his knees and feeling around desperately. "I can't find my deck!"

"Oh no!" Téa's hand flew to her mouth while Joey's hand flew to his own pocket, which he found empty.

"Me too!" Joey shouted. "Not a single card!"

"Tea! Did you have your deck on you when you met up with us?" Yugi asked with an urgent expression in his wide eyes.

"Yes but I..." Tea gasp as she found that her cards were also nowhere to be seen.

"That lousy freak must have stolen our cards!" cried Joey. He swore under his breath, kicking at the air in frustration and digging his fingers into his mess of blonde hair.

A small sound echoed throughout the chamber, interrupting the group's collective crisis. They grew suddenly silent. Yugi glanced around Téa toward the noise. He froze as he spotted a small yellow shape curled a few feet away.

"What's that?"

Téa and Joey followed his gaze to the strange object.

The trio jumped when it moved, rolling over onto four legs, its pointed ears twitching back and forth.

"Pika…chu."

The little sound echoed once more in the quiet, empty space and seemed to come from the little creature whose eyes had just settled on the small group.

"What. In the world…is that?"

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_Note: I figured the pharaoh is better at comebacks and general sass than Yugi, even though that kid has a mouth on him when he does decide to use it. And I figured the pharaoh would hold more of a grudge over Wheevil after what happened to their Exodia cards, thus Atem's comment about sassing Wheevil and Raptor, who always seem to be attached at the hip for some reason. _

_Ok and don't get too excited or mad about Yugi having a crush on Téa, because romance is not the main focus in this story. I just feel like it does play a part in Yugi's self-image, which is important. _

_I feel like there's something wrong with my characterization. But then again, I ask that you don't take this story too seriously because it is literally so random and weird. _

_Let me know what you think. Ask me questions. Yell at me. Send me little drawings of poops with frowny faces, I don't care. I'm just happy you read. Thanks for that._


	2. Chapter 2

_Note: Hey, you read on to the next chapter. Good for you, friend. You deserve a cookie. _

_I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pokémon and I don't profit from writing this. It's just fun._

**Chapter 2: Ash Ketchum **

**"**We're lost, aren't we?"

Misty crossed her arms, fixing Ash with her best glare.

"I wouldn't say that," the boy replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Pika," scolded the little yellow mouse-rat at his side.

Brock simply sighed, taking in the look of his young companions' frustrated faces with a slight smirk, sensing another argument brewing.

They were in the middle of a forest. A vast forest, based on the amount of time they had spent trekking through the dark trees and stumbling over the brush that had grown thickly throughout the barely-worn path.

It was almost sunset and even Ash was ready to admit to himself that maybe they had taken a wrong turn at the last fork in the road.

"This always happens," huffed Misty, rolling her eyes and throwing up her arms in defeat.

"Not always," Ash said defensively, "You're the one who said we should…"

"Alright, alright," Brock cut him off, moving himself between the two before another shouting match could start. "Let's focus on the now instead of trying to put the blame on people. It's getting late so we should probably find a place to settle down. You two can continue your tirade in the morning."

"But I wasn't finished!" shouted Misty.

"Yeah! We've got a score to settle!"

"In. The. Morning," Brock groaned, already undoing the ties on his sleeping bag.

"Wait a minute! We're just going to plop down right here?" Misty's eyes darted nervously around the small path and the dense trees surrounding them. It was getting darker by the second. "Shouldn't we build a fire or something?"

"In a minute," mumbled Brock as he curled himself into a tight ball within his sleeping bag.

Ash sat heavily on the ground beside his older friend and Pikachu let out a tired yawn before hopping on his lap. "Truce?" He mouthed to Misty.

"Truce," she whispered back, just then realizing how fatigued she truly felt.

The three settled in after Brock finally roused himself to build a fire. The older boy dug around in his pack and declared that for dinner he would be cooking a can of beans that smelled suspiciously like peas and spoiled fruit. Ash and Misty chose not to complain as they were both hungrier than a Snorlax.

Ash smiled pleasantly as he shoveled in a mouth full of Brock's strange tasting beans, a little dribbling down the side of his cheek. Misty giggled at him from across the fire and had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from spitting out food. She pointed at his lap where Pikachu had reached its paws into the bowl hoping to snag a tasty treat.

Ash spilled his bowl all over his lap when Pikachu gagged, spitting the food right in his trainer's face.

Misty and Brock howled with laughter as leftover beans dripped from Ash's pants when he stood up.

Pikachu seemed equally amused, even as Ash chased him around the make-shift campsite, spoon in hand.

A new pair of pants and several towels later, Ash finally settled down enough to get ready for bed. As soon as his sleeping bag was on the ground he dove inside it, Pikachu close behind him. The little Pokémon curled up under his chin and soon they were both snoring loudly, much to Brock and Misty's chagrin.

"Will he ever grow up?" Misty said, eyes shining with an inner smile.

"Doubt it," answered Brock with a grunt. He stood, dusting himself off before gathering up the empty pan over the fire.

Misty gazed into the flames, lost in thought about the possibilities of the new city past the forest, just on the horizon.

"He'll have to though if he wants to become the great Pokémon master he wants to be," Brock continued as he scrubbed the dishes from their late supper with a worn rag.

Misty hummed in agreement. She picked up a small twig beside her and poked absently at the kindling crumbling under the dying flame of the fire.

"You should follow his example and get some rest," Brock nodded toward the sleeping Ash and Pikachu. "I'll finish up here and head to bed in a minute."

"Alright," yawned Misty. "Thanks, Brock."

The young girl stood and made her way over to spread out her sleeping bag on the other side of Ash. She smiled when she noticed Pikachu drooling slightly on Ash's arm.

Brock finished the dishes quickly and tended to the fire before taking his place on the other side of Ash and Misty.

_Kids_. He thought, shaking his head in amusement as he studied his two young friends. Even though he had left home, it still felt like he was taking care of little siblings. Brock shrugged, before crawling under the covers of his warm makeshift bed. _Guess I never stopped being a big brother…_

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Ash woke up with a start, sending Pickachu rolling out of the sleeping bag.

"Whosit? You'll never get away with this, Ream Trocket!" Ash slurred as he blinked his eyes, heavy from sleep.

"Go to bed, Ash," Misty groaned in her sleep, turning to face away from him.

"Pik…" Pikachu blinked as it lay on its stomach in the cold grass. It inched over to Ash, pushing at his leg with a paw to try to get him to settle back into their cozy sleeping bag.

A twig snapped somewhere in the surrounding forest and Ash nearly sent Pikachu flying again.

"What was that?" He whispered to the Pokémon who was now cuddled in his arms.

"Pika…"

"Ash would you quit being…" Misty started, sitting up in her sleeping bag. She stopped when Ash covered his lips with a finger. "What…?"

"You hear that?" Ash glanced behind them. The soft sound of something moving through the underbrush could be heard coming closer to their campsite. The fire had nearly burnt out and only a handful of bright coals still gleamed with warmth, barely enough to light the small campsite.

Misty shivered, instinctively scooting closer to Ash. "Brock," she whispered fiercely, using her bare foot to poke at the lump of sleeping bag that was their friend.

Brock groaned in his sleep and Ash hushed them both.

"Don't "shoosh" me, Ash Ketchum!" Misty said in the loudest whisper that she dared.

The clearing was suddenly flooded with a harsh light. Ash and Misty both jumped, yelling in surprise. Brock rolled out of his sleeping bag shouting words that he hadn't spoken in front of a person under thirteen since his little brother back home dyed his underwear pink.

The light gradually receded, outlining a figure cloaked in red approaching from the path ahead.

"Pika!..pikachu!" Ash's brave Pokémon shouted, its fur bristling with static as it prepared to attack.

"Who are…?"

Before the question was out of his mouth, Ash and his friends were swallowed once more by the light. The trio vanished, leaving behind only the remains of a dying fire.

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"Where's Pikachu?!"

This was the first thing that Ash said when the group of trainers found themselves in a strange high-domed area with transparent floors and seemingly endless walls.

Brock was still out of it and Misty was still in shock, sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees as she panicked. None of her precious water Pokémon had made it. Their backpacks, all of their supplies, were missing; and with those items, some of their most precious friends, trapped within pokéballs, were now probably in the possession of someone up to no good.

"Hey look!" Ash pointed to a familiar backpack laying not a few feet in front of them…or was it behind them? Misty didn't seem to mind as they both trotted toward it. Sure enough it was Brock's old travel bag. Ash tore into it, but only found a deck of what looked like weird playing cards.

"Over there!" Misty pointed to two other bags strewn a little farther away.

Inside, the two kids found another two sets of cards.

"What are these?" Ash picked a random card from the top of the deck found in his back. On the face of the card was a man dressed in dark purple robes who wore a funky wizard-type hat and held what looked to him like a magic staff. _It says it's a_… _Dark Magician?_

"I don't know who took our stuff but I'm not going to let them think these little playing cards are worth more than the bonds I have with my Pokémon," Misty said, clutching her fist. Ash nodded in agreement.

"Hey, what's going on?" Brock asked, ambling slowly over to his friends.

"Our Pokémon are gone, but we found some nifty looking trading cards," Ash summarized.

Misty rolled her eyes.

"Why didn't you guys wake me up?," Brock sniffed.

"We tried," Ash and Misty deadpanned.

_Note: Thanks for reading. Chapter three will be more fun than the first two. _


End file.
